New Times
by Marqariley
Summary: Fuji couldn’t help but hear some of the St. Augustine girls laughing. “Well, well, it looks like the prodigy has finally been beaten.
1. The Falling Domino

A/N: Wow…well I hope you like this, because a lot of work has been put into it. This new series will mostly focus on the adjustments of everyone in the Prince of Tennis series about five years later. Ryoma and Sakuno are in their last year of high school, Momo and Kaidoh are in their first year of college, and the rest of the regulars (with the exception of Kawamura Takashi, though he'll make appearances) are in their second year of college.

Disclaimer: I am but a college student trying to keep my GPA high enough for law school. I don't own Prince of Tennis.

* * *

"21 to 20! Advantage, Ryuzaki!"

Takahashi Reiya couldn't breathe. Her hand clenched her tennis racket tightly as she was hit by another coughing fit._ I can't lose!_ She thought desperately as she tried hard to take deep breaths. From the other side of the net, Ryuzaki Sakuno waited patiently. She felt sorry for her opponent enough to wait until she had stopped coughing to serve but…not enough to deliberately lose the match. Not after she had worked so hard to get here.

_This is only the district tournament, why are you losing?_

Reiya waited for the serve. When it came, she was prepared and quick as lightning, the ball bounced past Sakuno before she had time to react.

Fuji Syusuke, Inui Sadaharu, and Oishi Syuichiroh watched the match, unsure of who they should root for. On one hand, they had all worked hard to train with Sakuno, but on the other hand, they knew Reiya as well. "Tezuka's girlfriend is strong," Oishi remarked.

"She won't last. This deuce has gone on for more than forty points According to my data, she suffers from respiratory problems. That, adding on to the humid weather," Inui replied, looking up at the muggy sky, "and the fact that this match has dragged on for almost two hours…the data adds up. No matter how good Reiya-san is, there is a 99.9 chance she will lose."

"She's also not Tezuka's girlfriend anymore," Fuji added.

Inui's glasses flashed in irritation. "Why didn't I know that?"

"He broke up with her three days ago. You know how Tezuka can be with his personal life. We didn't even know he had been in a relationship for a year."

Inui stopped scribbling and flipped back a couple of pages. "Three days ago, Takahasi-san had an asthma attack. She was distracted and forgot to use her inhaler before she started tennis practice and overworked herself."

"_How_ do you know these things?" Oishi asked.

Inui's glasses flashed triumphantly. "Inui juice is magic."

Oishi fell down as Fuji smiled. "He always makes sure to know Sakuno-chan's opponents."

"22 to 21! Advantage, Ryuzaki!"

Reiya coughed again while bouncing the ball. She knew her body couldn't take any more, but she was so close…she ignored the ache in her lungs and her heart, the tingling in her face and her fingers, the pain and effort it took to take a breath, and turned to her left side.

Sakuno warily watched the other girl. She had used this serve before, and it was unexpected. Every time it bounced in, but sharply turned unpredictably to either the right or the left.

"Reiya-san's special serve," Inui scribbled. "There's an 85 chance it will bounce to the right. She tends to favor that side."

Reiya threw the ball up and hit it. The moment the racket hit the ball though, she realized that she had used up too much energy with her special serve.

"Fault!"

She gritted her teeth with annoyance. Her serves usually always went in. _No more fancy tricks though,_ she reminded herself. _Just win!_

She served regularly this time, but it was a safe, easy serve and Sakuno easily hit it back to the other side. Reiya ran to the side and coughed as she barely received it.

They rallied for a while, Reiya obviously tiring as the rally continued. _I need to finish this!_ She thought fiercely, as she approached the net. Sakuno saw her chance and lobbed the ball upwards.

_Stupid, _Reiya thought as she read the arm movement easily and had already moved back towards the baseline. _It was going out anyway…_

…until the ball hit the baseline perfectly. Reiya moved quickly to return it, but she wasn't quite sure how much she would last.

Sakuno took a deep breath as the judge called another deuce. She carefully bounced the ball and served, watching in sweet satisfaction as the ball twisted slightly at the last minute. Reiya barely hit it back. Sakuno concentrated as she watched the ball bounce. Her opponent had been caught off-guard with the serve and she needed to end this game before fatigue took over. Her eyes narrowed as she spotted an opening on the right side of the court. Mustering as much strength as she could, she leapt forward and smashed a forehand cross-court.

A racquet clattered towards the fence. Reiya stood, momentarily stunned as she stared down at her empty hand. She coughed again, and went to retrieve the racquet. As she bent down and coughed, she watched a splash of blood drip onto the tennis court. _Calm down. You can win this!_ The voice inside her head encouraged. But she wanted to give up. Her face was tingling, she could barely stand, and her chest ached from the lack of oxygen. She had already pushed herself beyond the limit.

From the sidelines, Ryuzaki Sumire frowned and looked across to where the St. Augustine's coach was sitting. _Did she really not notice that her player could barely stand?_ Sumire wondered. _Every minute that passes by, the closer Reiya was to a complete physical and mental collapse. She should have pulled her out the moment the girl started coughing and wheezing._

"Advantage, Ryuzaki!"

Reiya wearily threw the ball in the air. Despite her obvious handicaps, the ball dropped perfectly into the corner, catching everyone by surprise. Sakuno hit it back and they started a heated rally.

"I'm amazed she can still stand, much less hit the ball," Oishi murmured.

"Right now, it's straight adrenaline. She'll crash once she stops moving," Fuji said solemnly.

Sakuno gritted her teeth as she hit the ball. Reiya's talent and strength was beyond what Sakuno normally played against. _It's almost like playing against Ryoma._

Reiya watched the ball bounce across the court and stretched out her hand. Her vision was blurred and she couldn't think and all of a sudden, she knew that she had lost even though she had reached the ball. Her hand trembled as coughs shook her, the racquet slipped out of her hand and she collapsed on the court.

"Game and match, Seigaku's Ryuzaki, 7-6."

Sakuno gave a huge sigh of relief as the Seigaku fans burst into cheers. She beamed and waved at her screaming teammates until she noticed that her opponent hadn't moved. Fuji, Oishi, and Inui were already running onto the court.

Reiya laid on the court, not wanting to move. Something wet had landed on her hand when she last coughed but she didn't need to open her eyes to know that it was blood again. She didn't care about the aches in her body, she had gotten used to the pain a long time ago. Instead, the reality of the situation sank in. She had lost.

"_Talent is replaceable. Anyone who loses a match automatically loses their regular spot."_

Distantly, she heard Oishi's voice, full of genuine concern ask, "Takahashi-san, are you alright?"

She opened her eyes to see him, Fuji, and Inui hovering over her with worried expressions. Not surprisingly, none of her fellow St. Augustine classmates had bothered to run onto the court.

"I'm fine," Reiya said irritably as she stood up shakily. She waved off the medics that had arrived and were hovering around nervously. _The last thing I need is more tests._

"You coughed up blood, you should go to a hospital," Oishi was saying.

"I'm fine."

Inui frowned. "At least let the medics attend to you," he suggested.

"I'm _fine_."

Fuji's eyes were open and staring at her. "You _need_ to go to the hospital."

"No, I'm fine," Reiya snapped. "Why do you guys care, anyway? You don't owe me anything, and you don't know me well enough to tell me what to do." Grimacing at the sharp pains her outburst had caused, she walked painfully past them. _A year,_ she thought bitterly. _We dated for a year and his friends never knew I was his girlfriend until we broke up._

"Let her go, Oishi," Fuji said quietly as the dark-hair boy started to go after her. "She's right. We never really knew her."

"But she should really go to the hospital!" Oishi protested.

"It's her decision," Inui echoed, scribbling messily in his notebook.

Sakuno hesitated as she approached Reiya. "Are you ok?"

Reiya stopped. "What?"

"I- uh…I was just wondering if you were ok."

"Yes. Thank you," Reiya said curtly, walking past her.

Sakuno let out a deep breath. "Wow, it's like talking to a female version of Ryoma," she muttered, walking back to the bench.

"What?"

Sakuno jumped. "Ryoma! When did you get here?"

"About half an hour ago, did you not notice?"

"No…"

Sumire smiled as Ryoma let out a frustrated sigh. "You are so clueless," he scolded gently. "But congratulations."

Oishi's ears perked. "I thought I heard Echizen."

"He'll be too distracted by Sakuno anyway," Fuji pointed out, as Inui scribbled away in his notebook while muttering about how there was a 100 chance that he would always show up to Sakuno's games. As they were walking towards the Seigaku crew though, Fuji couldn't help but hear some of the St. Augustine girls laughing. "Well, well, it looks like the prodigy has finally been beaten," one of the girls said, practically skipping in delight.

"I _know_, I can't believe she _lost_. I mean, how pathetic do you have to be to lose to a number three singles player? And I hear that Ryuzaki girl normally plays doubles too. I mean honestly, I knew those rumors about her being a tennis prodigy were fake…"

Oishi stopped as his friends passed him. There was something about the way Reiya was walking towards the bench…her eyes were glazed, her face was pale, and she seemed at any moment ready to…

Oishi's eyes widened as he watched the girl suddenly start to fall. Dropping his backpack, he sprinted towards her and managed to catch her before she hit the ground. Oishi shook the limp girl, but there was no response. People started to swarm around, murmuring.

"Someone call 911!" he yelled, as he frantically searched for a pulse.

There was none. Reiya wasn't breathing.

* * *

A/N: Oh….the drama! A lot more new characters will be introduced and I already have most of the second chapter done. As always, reviews are always appreciated! 


	2. Emotionally Driven Actions

A/N: Chapter 2! By the way, if anyone can come up with a better name for this fic, let me know because I just chose something very generic. As for the tennis, you guys may notice that in the anime and during last chapter's match only one set (first to six games) was played. Since tennis is normally two sets, I made it so that university players play longer matches and thus the "official" way. Oh and as far as names go…it all depends on how the players are usually addressed on the show to avoid confusion. And sorry, this is a rather long chapter!

Disclaimer: Don't own. Don't sue.

* * *

Tezuka Kunimitsu was irritated. He closed his eyes briefly before he tossed the ball in the air and swung to hit it.

From the net, even Fuji could feel his partner's frustration. They were in their second set, and losing rather badly. And though he hated to admit it, it was mostly Tezuka's fault that they were losing.

From the sidelines, co-captain Sakamoto Touya turned and sighed. "Meiji and Tachibana, start warming up," he ordered. _Calm down, we can sacrifice one match,_ he reassured himself.

"Touya-chan looks worried," Eiji noted from a distance.

"It's ok," Oishi said. "Granted, not having Takahashi here is bad enough but at least we won our matches so Meiji can cover this loss and Tachibana can win this. It's only the district tournament."

"Of course we won our matches," a voice piped up.

An almost identical voice completed the thought. "It's the Golden Pair and us. We never lose…"

"Thus setting up the perfect foundation for our single players," the first voice continued.

"Oh Takahashi-sempai really is very clever," the second voice finished.

Eiji beamed with excitement. "Toooooshiiiirrrro, Toooommmiiio!" he sang out.

The fourth-year identical twins smiled. Sengoku Toshiro and Sengoku Tomio could be as silly as Eiji off the courts but when they played both adapted in a manner eerily similar to Fuji's nature: hard to read, often bipolar, and undoubtedly unpredictable. And since they were identical twins, it was hard to distinguish them apart, often confusing their opponents.

"But do you really think Aki-chan can win his match?" Eiji asked them.

"Of course!" Tomio answered confidently. "We've seen him play! Granted, he's a reserve player but you know…"

"Oftentimes reserve players are better than the regulars," Toshiro said. "Because they have to be prepared at any time to take over, it requires more concentration and focus. They HAVE to be good."

"And our dear Meiji has a very prestigious background. He will uphold our honor!" Tomio cried out passionately and dramatically.

Touya rolled his eyes as his teammate Hataya Masayoshi grinned. "Our sempais are the same as ever, eh?"

Touya was about to respond when his cell phone rang. Excusing himself, he walked off.

Masayoshi turned towards the team manager. "Inui, what do you think?"

"This is highly irregular," Inui noted, scribbling into his notebook. "But an excellent opportunity for me to observe them under extreme pressure…they have never been in a situation like this…it's a good thing I brought extra notebooks…"

Masayoshi grew alarmed as he noticed the stack of notebooks next to the manager. "Uh…are you sure you'll be needing all of these?"

"Eh?" Inui glanced up briefly. "Oh, Hataya-sempai. These are already full."

"Wha-" Masayoshi's surprise was cut off by Touya rejoining them.

"Tadashi is coming," he announced.

"Are you sure?" Masayoshi asked. "Should he really be leaving Reiya by herself? What if something happens?"

"You know Reiya-chan," Touya smiled. "She insisted."

* * *

Takahashi Tadashi ducked as he entered the door to avoid the box of Kleenex his sister had just thrown at him.

"What are you still doing here? You should be at the tournament!" she shouted.

"Reiya-chan, please calm down," he pleaded. "This is only going to aggravate your asthma."

His sister pouted and crossed her arms. "You're aggravating my asthma," she protested. "Please, onii-chan, I didn't mean for you to miss the tournament today."

"I don't mind and the team doesn't mind," he reassured her. "But if it'll make you happy, I'm going to leave now to go watch."

A smile crossed Reiya's face as her brother bent down to hug her. "Liar," she said. "You're worried about the team without you."

"They can function without me," Tadashi protested.

"Of course they can but you're very controlling. You'd rather they didn't," his sister snickered.

"I'm glad to see your spirits are up," her brother mumbled as he left the room.

As the door closed, Reiya sighed deeply. _Finally, some quiet,_ she thought. After she passed out on the courts, she only remembered waking up to her mother, who was normally very calm and reserved, in near hysterics and her brother looking pale and distraught. Her father was noticeably absent, being on a business trip to Germany, but he was flying back as soon as possible, having cut down his trip by two days. He also called almost every single hour.

She had only been in the hospital for three days but it felt like a lifetime. So many people had come to visit that it only made her feel more exhausted because she had to put up with so many people. Reiya already had decided that it was too weird having people be genuinely nice to her. At St. Augustine, there were only people who were nice for the sake of being your friend.

In the past two days though, Sakuno had visited at least four times, each time accompanied with a small army of visitors from Seigaku, along with people she recognized to be Tezuka's friends. What unnerved Reiya the most was that everyone was nice, asking about how she felt and her hobbies. No catty, back-handed comments, no whispers of how awful she must have looked with her golden brown hair in disarray and pale complexion. She found herself actually relaxing and enjoying the company for the time being even though it took up a lot of energy. And she was fraternizing with the enemy.

_Ryuzaki Sakuno must be an alien, _Reiya concluded. _No one is that nice, especially to an opponent._

And then there was Sakuno's boyfriend, Echizen Ryoma. Now that was an odd pairing, she mused. She hadn't talked to Ryoma in ages, ever since she stopped taking lessons with her father three years ago at her new coach's insistence. Her coach…it had been three days and she still hadn't heard from her.

Her head started throbbing again. She decided to take advantage of the peace and quiet and rest. _I need to be back on those courts as fast as possible, _she thought fiercely. But even though she relished the silence, there was still a bit of emptiness. She longed to talk to Tezuka again. Only he ever seemed to really understand her.

* * *

Ryoma caught Sakuno looking at her watch again. "Somewhere else you'd rather be?" he asked.

Sakuno blushed. "I wouldn't want to be anywhere else," she promised, taking his hand.

"What, are you bothered that I always take you to tennis matches?" Ryoma asked, a hint of anxiety in his voice.

He was starting to enter his paranoid zone. "No, no…I was just wondering if we had time later to go to the hospital to see how Takahashi-san is doing."

"You know it's not your fault what happened to her. It's that coach's fault for putting her in the game and not pulling her out when she started to have problems," Ryoma rationalized. "And I guess it's Tezuka-sempai's fault too…"

Sakuno quickly put her hand over his mouth. "Ryoma!" she hissed. "He's right there!"

Ryoma shrugged with indifference. "It's not like he can hear me. He's too busy concentrating on not losing. Though come to think of it, it's partly Reiya's fault too for getting so caught up in her emotions that she forgot to take her medicine. It's really not like her to forget, but girls can be so dense sometimes…"

"What?"

Ryoma gulped as he saw his girlfriend's face. "Uh…nothing."

Sakuno smirked as he obediently shut up. "I just…feel bad for her. Fuji-sempai told me how he heard some of her teammates laughing, and I'm sure no one from St. Augustine has visited her. I mean, it just seems like the right thing to do."

"You're such a good person," Ryoma sighed. Suddenly something caught his eye and he straightened up. "Takahashi's here!"

"What? Isn't she supposed to be hospitalized?" Sakuno blinked in confusion.

"No, her older brother- the captain of Tokyo University's team. He's supposed to be extremely good, although it's rumored that his sister can beat him," Ryoma said excitedly. "I've played against Reiya before…she used to be coached by my old man. But I've never met Tadashi before, much alone seen him play. He's brilliant to have such strong doubles teams that he's never needed to play."

He rarely got excited over tennis players. Everyone was usually "mada, mada dane."

But it was something that he said that stood out to Sakuno. She had heard rumors of course, but she had dismissed them. If Reiya was better than her brother and her brother was someone that even Ryoma admired, didn't that make Reiya much better than Sakuno? She was curious now…she hoped Reiya would recover soon. She wanted to see her former opponent at her full potential.

Tadashi stood grimly in front of his number one doubles team. "The score is 2-5. You lost the first set 1-6. What is happening out there? This isn't like either of you both as individuals and as a team. This is an embarrassment!"

"We're trying," Fuji said tiredly. Tezuka just stood there, staring at the ground. He didn't want to make eye contact with his captain. Having him there was just ten times worse.

Tadashi sighed. "Just…try harder then."

As his players walked away, he felt his best friend approach. "Are Meiji and Tachibana warmed up yet?"

Masayoshi nodded. "Is Reiya ok?"

"She threw a vase at me. Luckily it was plastic. Unluckily it was full of roses and it was aimed at my face," Tadashi pointed a several scratches on his cheek. "I think she's fine."

Masayoshi chuckled, knowing full well that Reiya hated how her older brother constantly fretted over her health. Hated to the point where…well…Tadashi was the only one who could make Reiya so angry.

"Takahashi-sempai!" identical voiced trilled. "Oh we are so glad you're here!"

Tadashi groaned, feeling his face grow slightly pink. He hated how the twins addressed him as "sempai" even though they were older. They just loved to make a scene.

Out on the courts, Fuji focused, even though he knew his partner had given up. As the ball flew over the net towards Tezuka, Fuji ran ahead and sliced it neatly down the center.

As they passed each other to get into their receiving positions again, Tezuka said coolly, "Don't ever do that again."

Fuji remained silent. But during the next point, he once again ran in front of his partner and smashed the ball into the furthest right-hand corner.

"What is he doing?" Tadashi muttered. "Come on Fuji, trust Tezuka."

Despite Fuji's efforts to monopolize the ball and control the game, within ten minutes the judge had already called the game, set, and match for Otoru University.

As they walked off the court, Tadashi was waiting. "Fuji, we need to talk. Tezuka, I'll deal with you later."

Tezuka walked off silently, only to be assaulted by his teammates. "Nya, Tezuka, what happened out there?" Eiji piped up.

"Was it something that was maybe said before the match?" Tomio asked slyly.

"Was it something we accidentally said?" Toshiro asked innocently.

Tezuka pushed passed them without a word. Only Oishi, who hadn't said anything, followed.

Masayoshi sighed as he walked up to the rest of the group. "Tomio, Toshiro, you really shouldn't have said anything. It's a delicate situation."

Toshiro's face grew serious. "But Masa-chan, everyone needs to learn to separate tennis from their personal lives. What we said was a test of mental strength, and he failed."

"Tennis is a game of extreme mental strength," Tomio added. "Kuni-chan needs to learn that."

"They're right," Touya said from behind them. "Yosh, you should know better than anyone that Tadashi would have agreed with their decision. Let this be a lesson for Tezuka."

Masayoshi remained silent. He knew that while the twins were right, it had cost them a game. So what was more important here, letting Tezuka learn a lesson or winning?

* * *

_The air was crisp. He inhaled and allowed himself to smile a bit. It felt like victory. Everything was falling into place._

_"Are you ready?"_

_He turned to look at his doubles partner, who had his perpetual smile on his face. "It feels like a good day," he responded._

_And it did feel like a good day…until they joined the rest of the team and noticed that their captain was missing. _

_Their co-captain Touya cleared his throat. "Well, Tadashi isn't able to make today's game so today's order will be slightly different. Number three doubles will be Oishi and Kikumaru. Number two doubles will be the Sengoku twins. Number three doubles, Fuji and Tezuka. Number four singles will be Meiji, number three singles will be Tachibana, number two singles will be myself and number one singles will be Hataya."_

_All around, eyebrows were being raised at the ordering. "What do you think, Tezuka?" Fuji asked._

_Before he had time to respond, Inui cut in. "It seems very logical and thought out. Starting out with the Golden Pair will show off our various skills, while the twins will bring out another facet of our different kinds of tennis. Despite the fact that the twins are usually started off so that the Golden Pair's unorthodox playing is a surprise, this set-up will only unease our opponents. Then, with you two, it shows solid partnership and legendary tennis with the prodigal Fuji and nationally renowned Tezuka," Inui said excitedly, his glasses flashing. "And this will give me more time to study our mysterious reserve player, Meiji Aki, who was one of the top players last year but with so many top-level sophomores has been reduced to a reserve player. It is a bit odd that Sakamoto placed himself lower than Hataya when Sakamoto is a better player but there is a 92 chance that it won't even reach the top two players anyway."_

_"Your Data Tennis is precise as ever," Fuji praised. _

_"I wonder why the captain isn't here today though," Tezuka murmured._

_Inui coughed slightly. Fuji's eyes opened and shifted uncomfortably to the right. Oishi looked away and scratched his head uneasily, and Eiji became uncharacteristically silent._

_"Should we say it?" Toshiro whispered._

_Tomio shrugged. "If she meant anything to him, this could become rather interesting."_

_"You mean you didn't hear?" Toshiro said loudly._

_This alarmed his teammates, who started sending his signals to shut up._

_"TOSHIRO, DO YOU THINK YOU CAN WARM UP WITH ME?" Tachibana said loudly and desperately._

_Toshiro waved his teammate off. "You're not playing until much later, Kippei-chan," he said sweetly._

_Tomio sighed. "Well I don't blame Takahashi-sempai for putting family first. After all, his sister nearly died."_

_Time seemed to stand still as everyone stole glances at Tezuka. His stoic expression didn't change._

_"Sengoku Toshiro. Sengoku Tomio."_

_The twins froze at the sound of their co-captain's voice. Even though they were older, the fierce anger in Touya's voice was unmistakable. "Even though Tadashi decided to remain at his sister's side while she's in the hospital, I should remind you two that this is not an excuse to slack off. I expect nothing but perfection out there."_

_"Hai, Sakamoto-sempai!" the twins saluted, before dashing off to avoid more anger.  
_

* * *

"Don't ever do that again." 

Fuji looked down at the ground in silence. "I'm sorry."

Tadashi shook his head. "Sorry isn't good enough, Fuji. I can't allow you and Tezuka to play together on the next game. I'm going to put Momoshiro and Kaidoh in."

"You're going to replace us with the reserve players? Why?"

"It's not like you to be so insensitive," Tadashi said.

Fuji momentarily forgot his anger. "What?"

"It's true that Tezuka wasn't playing at the top of his game. And I know that you two aren't used to not being in control, both individually and as a team. But what you did undermined his skills. It's embarrassing to have your partner take over for you when it's not what you wanted in the first place. You and Tezuka are not at the partnership level of the twins or the Golden Pair. You cannot lose confidence in your partner. It's hard enough when he's doubting himself, but to have your partner lose faith in you as well? Tadashi shook his head. "It can be devastating."

As Tadashi started to walk off, he stopped and turned. "One more thing: 25 laps around the courts tomorrow."

* * *

"If you knew, why didn't you tell me?" Tezuka asked, slamming his fist against a tree in anger.

Oishi sighed. "We…weren't so sure of the relationship between you two. It's not like you to keep secrets from us, Tezuka. We felt betrayed."

Tezuka refrained from losing his temper and sighed. It had always been something he argued about with Reiya, that so few people knew about their relationship. _It'll interfere with our tennis,_ he had told her. _It's better this way so it's not a big deal if something happens. _"Is she ok?"

"Not really. I'm sure that physically, she'll be fine even due to all the stress on her body. Mentally…to be honest, she must be tough because it seems as if she's stood alone. None of her teammates seemed concerned when she collapsed and the coach just walked away and didn't even bother seeing if Takahashi-san was breathing. She seems very harsh."

Her coach. Kinomi Sakura. Something else they constantly argued about. He always noticed that she strained herself to please her coach, disregarding her health in the process.

"Our relationship was…complicated," Tezuka said. He hesitated before his next words. "I think I loved her though."

"Loved or still love?" Oishi questioned. "If you two had a clean break, she wouldn't have been so distracted to forget her medicine. If you didn't have any lingering feelings, you would have been able to concentrate on the match."

Tezuka didn't know how to answer. He thought that he had made a clean break, but on the inside after he heard the news he wanted to do nothing but rush to the hospital and hold her hand.

Love. He wasn't sure if she had felt the same way towards him but…damnit, it sure was an emotion that screwed people over.

"Oishi, may I have a word with Tezuka?" Tadashi said from behind them, interrupting the silence.

Oishi turned. "Oh, Takahashi-sempai! Of course, of course…by the way, how is Takahashi-san?"

"She's a bit more…spirited," Tadashi said carefully, touching his face where the rose thorns had scratched.

After Oishi had left, Tezuka turned to face his captain. "Gomen ne," he murmured.

"Kunimitsu," Tadashi said, choosing a more casual tone. "You should know that I've been offered an opportunity to travel abroad next year. Whether or not I decide to take it…there is little doubt that you are the next captain of this team. The only thing is whether or not it happens a year earlier than expected."

Tezuka raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Sempai-"

"This is why," Tadashi said, cutting him off. "It is important to learn to separate your personal life from tennis. I know you're not used to this situation but when you play tennis, the best thing is to not feel anything. No pain, no happiness…your mind should be free. Let this be a lesson to you. Please do not let this happen again."

As he walked off, he stopped and turned. "Oh yes, 25 laps around the court during tomorrow's practice. One more thing too…I'm going to be visiting Aiiku Hospital after this. Would you like to join me?"

* * *

Reiya woke up to see her coach sitting next to her bed. "Kinomi-sensei," she said drowsily.

Kinomi Sakura looked upwards. "I've wasted so much time on you."

Before Reiya could react to those harsh words, her coach had already stood up. "I already took your regulars captain jacket. You needn't come to the extra practices for regulars now, but I do expect you to do basic training along with the other girls. Surely you can handle an easy task such as basic training. By the way you played the other day though, I wasn't sure whether or not you remembered how to swing a racquet, but I suppose we all have to start somewhere."

"You knew I wasn't in the best shape to play. You should have made me the reserve player," Reiya protested weakly, sitting up.

Her coach scoffed. "Stop making excuses and accept some responsibility for a change. That's what real tennis players do."

Before she could react, Kinomi was out the door.

Falling back into her bed with wide eyes, Reiya could feel her heart start to pound. She had worked so hard, didn't it mean anything? Losing her regulars spot meant that she might never play in competitions for her team again. Tennis was everything, without it…

She started to hyperventilate at the thought.

* * *

"What happened?" Takahashi Fumiyo demanded, sinking into a chair. She had come to see her daughter ten minutes ago only to be greeted by a flurry of nurses and doctors in Reiya's room.

"Someone visited and must have upset her, she had another asthma attack," the nurse said gently. "It was only a minor relapse but she's going to stay in the hospital longer now. Maybe in about a week she can be released."

"Do you remember who was in her room?" Fumiyo asked. _Oh, if it was Tezuka, there will be hell to pay,_ she thought angrily. She liked him, but.. _Reiya has never, EVER forgotten to take her medicine._

"An older woman…I think she had a St. Augustine's shirt on? Short, blond hair, very unfriendly eyes. I remember because she was very curt with me in asking for your daughter's room. I could check the log if you'd like."

Fumiyo clenched her fists. _Kinomi Sakura_. "That won't be necessary." Thanking the nurse politely, she turned and flipped open her cell phone.

"Hello, Nanjiro? Yes, this is me. I'd be honored if you could start giving lessons to Reiya again. You will be compensated generously, of course."

On the other line, Echizen Nanjiro smirked. "What about that hag coach who told you that I wasn't the best for your daughter?"

"She's out of the picture," Fumiyo said coldly. "And I'm sorry I ever took her advice."

"Your daughter is very talented. Certainly the most interesting young player I've come across thus far," Nanjiro yawned. "I guess wouldn't mind giving her lessons again."

"Thank you."

"And actually," Nanjiro said, an idea popping into his head, "She would be a good practice partner with Ryoma. He doesn't have many worthy opponents his own age."

"Sounds perfect. Thank you, Nanjiro. You should know that my scouts have been eyeing your son too."

"What for?" Nanjiro snorted, though secretly he felt a bit of pride. "Oh Fumiyo, I heard that Reiya is in the hospital now. Is she ok?"

"Better than ok," Fumiyo said firmly. "Especially when in two weeks she won't be playing for St. Augustine anymore."

"You know, I'm starting to enjoy this ice queen routine of yours, Fumiyo," Nanjiro chuckled. "It's a drastic change from before."

* * *

A/N: Say what??? Yeah it gets a little intense from here on out- let's just say that Reiya's transition from St. Augustine to Seigaku High will cause rifts on both sides, not to mention she'll feel conflicted too. In case people are confused, here's the Tokyo University's team:

Captain: Takahashi Tadashi (Reiya's older brother, a junior at Tokyo University), usually plays #1 singles

Co-Captain: Sakamoto Touya (Used to be a legendary junior player but went through several issues that resulted in him being faded from the national scene), usually plays #2 singles

Hataya Masayoshi (Tadashi's childhood best friend), usually plays #3 singles

Tachibana Kippei (formally of Fudomine Middle School, now attends Tokyo University on a full-ride tennis scholarship), usually plays #4 singles

#1 Doubles: Tezuka Kunimitsu and Fuji Shusuke (Because of Tezuka's arm, Tadashi is careful not to let Tezuka overstrain himself, which is why he plays doubles)

#2 Doubles: Oishi & Kikumaru

#3 Doubles: Sengoku Toshiro and Sengoku Tomio (Who have never lost a single match as a doubles team, and the only fourth-year regulars)

Singles reserve player: Meiji Aki (A very mysterious fourth year, but you'll see more of him)

Doubles reserve players: Momo & Kaidoh (the only freshman reserve players in history, which many are resentful of)


	3. On the Verge

A/N: Sorry it's been a while since the last update. I had a really hard week, just some drama in my life added onto an endless barrage of quizzes and midterms. That, and I got Pokemon Diamond and it is super addicting. All is better now though, and I have a really solid foundation for the next three chapters, so enjoy!

Disclaimer: POT does not belong to me. I do own a pot that I use to boil water...but that is hardly a super successful anime series/franchise.

Two Weeks Later...

Reiya walked briskly through the hall, her head firmly held high. It was the last day, and she only had to make it through another hour. She ignored all the whispers and stares she got and made her way to her next class. However, that last class happened to be with almost all the other girls in the tennis club.

Immediately as she walked through the door she could feel the scornful glances of her former teammates. The current captain of the team, Rika, cleared her throat. "Well if it isn't the traitor," she sneered. "Enjoying your last supper, Judas?'

"Don't flatter yourself," Reiya shot back. "You're certainly no Jesus."

"Don't talk back to the captain," Rika's friend snapped. "Especially when you're a nobody like yourself."

Rika held up a hand. "Don't worry Sumiko," she said smugly. "She'll regret her decision when we destroy Seigaku at the Prefecture Tournament in three weeks."

Reiya glowered at her former so-called "friends" as the teacher walked through the door and began the lesson. Half-way through though, a messenger came.

"Takahashi! Pick up your belongings and report to the headmistress's office immediately please," the teacher requested.

The class erupted in sniggers and whispers of Reiya being in trouble as everyone watched triumphantly when she left silently.

Headmistress Otowa looked sympathetic as she surveyed the girl sitting across from her. "Now Takahashi-san, are you sure you want to run away from your problems? I know this is everything a teenager goes through but this is your senior year, and to be switching schools so late…"

"With all due respect," Reiya said, bowing her head, "I do love St. Augustine. The education I have received here will no doubt help me through at my new school. I wish I could stay here, and to be honest, I don't mind being ostracized."

"Now Takahashi-san, please don't be so quick to assume such a nasty thing," Headmistress Otowa said hastily. "Your classmates and teammates are simply ruffled at losing, that's all."

"My parents think that this is not a very healthy environment for be to be in," Reiya said slowly. "And I agree with them. I've been here for almost six years, and though I'm sad at leaving the institution itself, I can't say that I'm sorry to leave the people here."

"Don't be ridiculous, I'm sure you have friends. Togetherness is something that St. Augustine emphasizes."

"I don't want to anger my parents," Reiya said simply, fiddling with the hem of her grey and red skirt. "They insist that I get away from Coach Kinomi."

Headmistress Otowa nodded slowly, though her lips pursed together. She knew from the very beginning that hiring Kinomi Sakura had been a mistake, no matter how much the board of trustees had pushed for it. While it was true she had elevated the status of the girl's tennis team, she had seen the relationships between the girls change for the worst. If she had to be honest, those girls were not what St. Augustine education emphasized.

"Of course you want to honor your parent's wishes," she said. "It's a very admirable quality."

Reiya smiled. "A St. Augustine quality," she noted quietly.

The headmistress smiled with a bit of regret. The girl sitting across from her would have been one of the best alumni St. Augustine had ever seen.

* * *

"I just. Don't. Understand!" Mizuki Rei yelled, hitting a ball with each pronounced word. 

Her friend Matsuyama Hoshizumi ran to quickly hit the three balls back. "Are you seriously threatened by this transfer student?"

Rei glowered as she carefully aimed the balls back into three different directions. "This is Takahashi Reiya we're talking about."

"She's not even a national-level player," Hoshizumi shrugged as she hit two of the three balls back. "Don't worry about it."

Rei grimaced as she only managed to retrieve one of the two balls. "Nice one," she called, as the other ball hit the fence with a satisfactory thud.

"Thanks," Hoshizumi responded, serving the next ball. "I really wouldn't be concerned about this girl if we haven't even heard of her. If she was so great, she would have been winning tournaments all over the country."

Rei sliced the ball cross-court, watching her friend scramble. Hoshizumi dashed for it but was unable to return it. Satisfied, Rei smiled and flipped her hair as she turned to retrieve a ball from the ground.

From the next court, Suzuki Hotaru, Yamamoto Emi, Osakada Tomoka, and Ryuzaki Sakuno turned to watch Rei play.

"She's especially competitive today," Emi noticed. "She must really be worried about losing her spot when Takahashi-san comes to play."

"I don't really see the big deal about this girl," Tomoka declared. "Everyone seems to be making a great deal of fuss over nothing."

"Tomo-chan!" Sakuno admonished. "She really is very good."

Tomoka turned. "Whatever," she dismissed, walking away. "I'm going to go help the freshmen."

"Don't worry," Hotaru whispered to Sakuno. "I think everyone is on edge with Takahashi-san coming. Someone is bound to be kicked off."

Sakuno nibbled on her lower lip with concentration. The regulars had been consistent throughout the season. It would be weird having any one of the girls gone. Even though Rei was mean, she was a dedicated and great player. There was no doubt Hoshizumi or Chiharu would lose, they hadn't lost a single match so far this season. Emi was the newest but was a sharp player. Hotaru and Tomoka were fairly strong players, which just left…her.

* * *

Coach Kino stared out at the tennis courts. She watched as her friend Ryuzaki Sumire yelled at some of the boys, then directed her gaze towards the girl's side. Change was in the air for Seigaku's tennis. 

"You wanted to see me?" Sengoku Chiharu asked, leaning against the doorway of the coach's office.

Kino turned. "Ah, Chiharu," she said warmly. Gesturing towards an empty chair in the room she said, "Please, sit."

Chiharu crossed the room and sat. "Are you feeling better?"

"Yes, thank you," Kino acknowledged. "I'm sorry to have missed the district tournaments though Ryuzaki assured me that it was very eventful."

"You haven't gotten a chance to meet Takahashi yet?" Chiharu questioned.

"Her private coach invited me, rather hesitantly, to observe her practice today," Kin answered. "I'm not quite sure what to expect."

"She's supposedly on par with a nationally ranked university student," Chiharu said. "I've seen her play, and my brothers are on the same team as her brother. They're a gifted family. Reiya is very much a wild card when it comes to her style of playing but she's very consistent with her wins."

"Everyone expected St. Augustine to win the district tournaments as they have for the past two years. Yet, a school that came out of nowhere and is more renowned for their boy's tennis swooped in and defeated them. People are talking."

"But Takahashi, the golden girl of the St. Augustine is coming here to play," Chiharu said. "More people are talking about that."

"That is true," Kino slowly said.

"I'm glad," Chiharu replied simply. "She's a good player and it will boost our team."

You do realize that Takahashi may take your spot as the number one player," Kino said gently.

Chiharu smiled sadly. "I've always been overshadowed by my brothers, sempai. It doesn't matter if I'm not number one. There will always be people better than me. But if I have to play from the shadows, so be it. I'm used to it. I play tennis because I want to, no matter how much I go unnoticed."

"You're still the captain, Chiharu," Kino said firmly. "And I understand you've gotten offers from Osaka University and Kyoto University, as well as some offers from overseas."

"I'm still waiting for Tokyo University though."

Kino looked at the young girl for a long time. "You shouldn't want to follow your brothers' footsteps everywhere. You could make a name for yourself if you played for someone else."

Chiharu remained silent. _It's more of a matter of pride,_ she thought. _I want to make a name for myself but I also have to prove that I'm just as good as them._

* * *

"I feel like a pet on display," Reiya grumbled, straightening her strings. Her practice partner smirked. "Always calling attention to yourself, eh?" he said. 

"Shut it, Echizen," she snapped, standing up and jogging a couple of steps in place. "So she's going to be my new coach, eh?"

Ryoma squinted against the sun and plopped his hat on his head. "I guess, I don't really notice the girl's coach. Well, are you ready to lose today?"

"Don't go easy on me just because I'm the one being judged," Reiya warned.

Ryoma scoffed. "You're still…"

"Don't say it," his girlfriend said, cutting him off. Sakuno beamed at Reiya. "Good luck today, I'm sure you'll win."

"Hey, who's side are you on," Ryoma mumbled.

Reiya smiled a bit uncomfortably. She didn't mind having Sakuno around but the girl was unnaturally nice. And, as Reiya found out, a decent tennis player.

Sakuno walked over to where her coach was sitting. "Coach Kino, just wait until you watch her play," she said excitedly. "There's no way I would have won if she was even playing at half of her potential!"

From the court, Reiya cringed. That was another thing about Sakuno…she never gave herself enough credit. _If she worked a little harder,_ Reiya mused. _She would be a great player. She has a diverse playing style._

"Best of one set match, the little brat to serve!" Nanjiro called loudly. Ryoma mumbled something nasty under his breath and bounced the ball with his left hand. Reiya watched him as he shot her a cocky smile and threw the ball high in the air.

_What a punk,_ Reiya thought as she nimbly moved to the side, catching the twist-serve easily and sending it back. _Showing off as usual._

Kino raised an eyebrow. The girl was good. Better than good, actually. Especially for a high school student.

There must be an opening, Reiya thought as she waited for a lob to descend. As she spun the ball back over the net Ryoma had already slid towards the ball in a Drive B formation.

_Damn you._

Before anyone could react, Reiya shifted the racquet to her left hand and slammed the ball back. It spun past Ryoma before he had a chance to counter it.

He didn't look surprised though. "Nice shot," he called.

_Punk,_ Reiya reiterated in her mind. But it was nice of him to set up that play so it showed off her dexterity.

Kino was stunned. "She's ambidextrous?"

"Interesting, isn't it? It's a good trait for tennis players to have," Nanjiro mused. "Most people aren't able to tell which hand she prefers and which is stronger. I can, of course, but that's a secret between us."

"She's completely ambidextrous? I know of players, like your son, who can play with both hands but ultimately one hand dominates."

"Of course one is going to be slightly better but her dexterity is beyond anything ever seen," Nanjiro shook his head. "A prodigy like this only comes around once in a million years. Once she works a bit harder she'll be able to surpass everyone, including her brother."  
Sakuno listened to all of this quietly while remembering a conversation she had with Reiya when she was still in the hospital.

* * *

_One Week Ago _

_"So you might come play for Seigaku?"_

_Reiya shrugged. "It's what my parents want. To be honest, it might as well be a better fit for me than St. Augustine. I was really only recruited to boost the tennis team but it was only when I entered the high school sector that people started calling me…that word. Partly due to the fact that a new coach was hired and she was very interested in me."_

_"Prodigy? But that's not a bad word!" Sakuno cried out. "I only wish I had your skills, I'm only average."_

_"Don't say that," Reiya said sharply. Then her voice softened. "I'm sorry, it's just that…sometimes I don't know why I play tennis. You know that cliché that with great power comes great responsibility?"_

_"I think I heard it in a movie somewhere," Sakuno said, scrunching her face in confusion. "Something about a sandman?"_

_"Anyway," Reiya continued, "being called a prodigy gives me no choice. I have to play tennis."_

_"You're good at it."_

_"My brother really is better," Reiya admitted. "I've only beat him once, ever. He's a solid, consistent player with incredible strength. I'm only trickier to play against but once you know how to play against me, you know how to win. It was my goal for so long, to beat him, that afterwards I didn't really know what to do. But then the more I played, the more I got noticed. It's not fair that he gets pushed back from the spotlight," she sighed, looking at the ceiling. "But he loves me, so he endures it. So you see, it really is better to have average skills like you, Sakuno. That means that if you improve, it's great. You could be a great player. But you don't have the pressure to be extraordinarily great."_

It's true, Sakuno admitted to herself. She had never felt the same kinds of pressures that Ryoma or Reiya had felt. In a way though, it really was better. She was free to improve at her own pace and leisure.

* * *

"You just couldn't let her win, eh?" Nanjiro growled, smacking his only son in the head. "Baka." 

Ryoma shrugged. "She showed off enough. Besides, even she knows that power play is not her strongest suit. It's because she plays against a bunch of girls all day."

"You really are stupid, aren't you?" Nanjiro asked seriously. "She _IS_ a girl!"

"Thus, her strength is not at the same level as mine," Ryoma said slowly as if he were talking to a child. "Duh."

"Don't you start with the back-sass!"

"Owwwwwww!!! Okaa-san!!!!!"

"Rinko-chan, he started it!"

"You're supposed to be my father, can't you set an example?"

"Oh Kami-sama, what did I ever do to deserve a son who doesn't appreciate me?"

"Probably all those dirty magazines you re-owwwwwwww!"

From the windowsill, Karupin lazily opened one eye and sniffed. Finding nothing of interest, she went back to sleep. Humans could be so annoying.

* * *

Reiya stood in front of her closet, her head tilted, and stared at her new school uniform. "Seriously? Green and pink?" She groaned. _I'm going to look ridiculous._ She had loved the St. Augustine colors, grey and red. 

"Kawaiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!" her brother sang from the doorway, clasping his hands together with mock excitement. "Our Reiya-chan is starting her first day tomorrow!"

Masayoshi rolled his eyes as Tadashi continued to tease his younger sister with his babying. "Are you nervous?"

Reiya glowered at her brother, who was going off about "Oh, I remember just yesterday when you learned to use the toilet for the first time! Oh they grow up so fast!"

"Yeah, I'm ready," she answered. "I just wish I could switch brothers instead of schools."

"Hey!" Tadashi protested. "I'm being dead serious, it really does look good on you."

Reiya shuddered as she turned to look at her uniform again in the mirror. The crisp fabric felt foreign against her skin and she didn't recognize herself without the white blouse and dark red and dark grey plaid skirt.

"So really," Masayoshi asked. "Are you ready?"

Reiya exhaled. "I think I'll be fine."

But after her brother and his best friend left and she got ready for bed, she had a feeling that tomorrow would be the hardest day of her life.

* * *

A/N: Sorry this is really somewhat of a filler chapter, there's a bunch more excitement coming up, including a silly chapter of multiple double dates. You can see that Reiya and Sakuno are already getting along pretty well, something that Tomoko will struggle with. And who will end up getting kicked off the Seigaku team? Stay tuned! Reviews and emails are greatly appreciated. 


End file.
